India entered the semifinal of the Asian Games 2026 men’s hockey event after beating Japan 2-0 in a Pool A encounter at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium on Saturday.
Abhishek opened the scoring in the last minute of the first quarter. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh doubled the lead in the third half to seal the win for India.
The host had multiple chances to find the back of the net, but the Indian goalkeepers Suraj Karkera and Mohith H. S. managed to pull off multiple saves to keep a clean sheet.
Japan also impressed in its Penalty Corner (PC) defence, keeping the Indian dragflickers at bay until skipper Harmanpreet managed to get one past in the third quarter.
A steady drizzle throughout the encounter meant both sides struggled to keep the ball, allowing the match to be more end-to-end.
Japan constantly threatened in the second period, playing through the Indian press, but once the second goal went in, India exerted more control.
India has now accumulated 12 points from its four Pool A matches, three ahead of Japan and South Korea, who will face each other in their final group stage contest.
India’s final contest will be against Bangladesh.
Published on Sep 26, 2026
